My grandmother, Barbara Cline, is one amazing woman. Even though she turned 80 on November 28, she has not shown any indication of slowing down.
Standing at a height of 4’ 11”, because of her osteoporosis, she is the butt of many jokes. One of my favorites is when one of her four children tells her that they need to tie a balloon to her wrist, so they won’t lose her in a crowded mall.
Though she is constantly teased, my grandmother is not afraid to hand it right back. When one of her children makes some comment about her height, she immediately retorts with a story from their childhood that makes them turn as red as a beet on their face.
Yet, the wittiness does not stop there. Cline will find a way to make small jabs at all of the family members, including her 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Once I remember making fun of her old woman arms, saying that her muscles were facing the wrong way. My grandmother responded by calling me a “whistledick”. I still to this day do not know what that is.
In addition to her wit and great sense of sarcasm, my grandmother is compassionate and hardworking. She still works at a local grocery store three days a week, where she can be seen taking a break from her work to hand a young child a freshly baked cookie.
Every year, my grandma insists that she fixes the turkey for Thanksgiving, and the ham for Christmas. Once my mom, Toni Lorenz, fixed the turkey without telling my grandma. Let’s just say my mom never did it again.
My grandmother has been a great influence on my life. I believe a good portion of my wittiness and sarcasm comes from her. Every time I am home, I give her a big hug where she pats my bottom because she cannot reach any higher. I don’t mind, it’s my grandma, and grandmas are the best.